Latest news with #ChinaCoastguard
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
How South China Sea collision may prompt Beijing to rethink coastguard and navy operations
China may seek better coordination between its navy and coastguards and improve the quality of its coastguard ships after this week's dramatic collision in the South China Sea , according to analysts. Footage of the incident released by the Philippines appeared to show that the Chinese coastguard ship 3104 sustained serious damage to its bow after colliding with a larger destroyer, the Guilin. 'I don't think it's good to sit still and just get on with business as usual after the collision,' said Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. 'I will have to presume that the Chinese maritime forces [the People's Liberation Army Navy and China Coast Guard] … will review these collisions and then they will see how best to move in a more coordinated fashion together to avoid this thing.' The accident happened near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal, which is also claimed by the Philippines and has been the scene of numerous stand-offs between the two countries. The video footage suggested the Chinese cutter was chasing a Philippine coastguard ship and firing water cannons when the Guilin cut across their paths and crashed into the bow of the 3104.
Al Jazeera
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Philippines accuses China of ‘aggressive' tactics in South China Sea
The Philippines fisheries bureau has accused China's coastguard of firing water cannon and sideswiping a Filipino government vessel during a research voyage in the disputed South China Sea. The Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources condemned on Thursday what it said was the 'aggressive interference' of the Chinese coastguard against the Datu Sanday and a second ship during the incident on Wednesday. The encounter occurred near a group of small sandbanks in the Spratly Islands where two Filipino ships were collecting sand samples 'as part of a marine scientific research initiative', the Philippine statement said. 'At approximately 0913H, CCG vessel 21559 water cannoned and sideswiped the BRP Datu Sanday (MMOV 3002) twice … putting at risk lives of its civilian personnel.' The 'aggressive interference, dangerous maneuvers, and illegal acts' damaged the Philippine ship's port bow and smokestack, according to the bureau's statement. It was the first time water cannon were used against Philippine vessels near the disputed Sandy Cay reef, the bureau added. The Philippines scientific team was still able 'to complete its operations in Pag-Asa Cays 1, 2 and 3', the statement added, using the Philippine term for the Sandy Cays. The Chinese coastguard said in a statement that the Philippine vessel 'dangerously' approached its ship, resulting in the collision. It added that the Filipino vessel 'illegally intruded' into the waters of Sany Cay. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said she was not aware of the incident. 'What I can tell you is that the Chinese coastguard always enforces the law in accordance with laws and regulations,' she said. Beijing claims it has sovereignyy rights over almost the entire South China Sea, despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis. The Philippines and China have engaged in several confrontations in the South China Sea. Last month, the Philippines denounced as 'irresponsible' a Chinese state media report claiming that Sandy Cay 2 was put under China's control. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the country's coastguard had 'implemented maritime control' over Tiexian Reef in mid-April. China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, including areas claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. A 2016 ruling of an international arbitral tribunal found Beijing's sweeping claims had no basis under international law, a decision China rejects.
